The nonnative inhabitants of the planet were a vast composite of humanoids and a scattering of other races.  These mixed races lived in small communities or camps.  What attracted these people to this planet was its strategic location to intergalactic trade routes. The desert conditions of this planet did not hold any long term incentives.   Loose brown and gray sand blanketed the surface of the planet and was poor for the growth of crops that the transplanted natives needed.  The people that chose to stay in this hot, dry environment did so because they had no resources or credits to leave and the others stayed because they had left behind the demons that had been chasing them.  This newly discovered planet was found approximately forty years ago somewhat by accident.  A freighter ship hauling stolen drugs, equipment and other booty ran out of fuel and had to land on this planet.  The fact that the planet was basically a wasteland made this an ideal location to set up a satellite base for the stolen merchandise.  This would not be a planet that would bring colonizers for agricultural or entertainment means. The crews aboard these pirating vessels stayed a little longer and brought their significant others, family and associates to stay on the planet also.  Some of the looted materials belonged to Star Fleet and the stolen merchandise was tracked to the planet.  A base was temporarily set up by the Federation and secured by Star Fleet to prevent further deliveries of stolen materials to be diverted to this planet.  Also it allowed Star Fleet to monitor other pirating activities that were common place in this sector.  However, the inhabitants on this planet were difficult to control; there was a lot of crime and a large population was addicted to drugs and illegal substances whether it be in the form of drinks or injected in the body via numerous ways.  The Star Fleet crews that were stationed here were under constant attack and the small clinic that they had set up initially was insufficient for the number of patients and skilled medical teams needed to treat the injured crewmen.  It was also suggested that they open a public clinic to help the inhabitants with medical care.  This would help ease tensions and help some of the real victims of this planet, the children born here.

McCoy looked out at the baked terrain as he drank water from his container.  There were no mesas, or hills to alter the flat landscape.  It was like parts of Texas he had seen, thankfully without the snakes or scorpions.  He took another sip of water; it had been a long day.   Malnutrition and infections from the endemic bacteria and foreign bacteria that were shared between different races were the basic causes of disease among the inhabitants.  The sanitation outside of the base was appalling and the shared water supply was grossly contaminated.  Star Fleet’s next project was to provide a new water treatment system and a more effective waste removal system.

 They had treated over one hundred people today, mostly nutrition supplements and drug withdrawal treatments.  McCoy had performed four surgeries: one heart bypass, five repairs of old bone fractures that had healed wrong and one repair of a bleeding stomach ulcer from drinking the local ‘moonshine’.    They had also treated the people who were foolish enough to smoke the native plants, swallowing the products from the plants was often fatal.  The most difficult of the patients to treat were the children.  Malnutrition, rickets, mental and physical deficits and birth defects were many of the cases that they had treated and assessed.  Chapel was especially sensitive to the children’s cases; she was so good with kids.  McCoy wished that she could find someone who would appreciate her and give her the love and children that she wanted.  However, he and Chapel were alike in this area; their job and the ship were their home and the crew was their family.  There was another thing that they had in common, their affection for Spock.  It was difficult to see Chapel’s face when Spock came to see him in Sick Bay.  It was the expression of unrequited love, a very painful experience.   McCoy knew this from personal experience before he learned that Spock had the same affection for him.  Who would have ever known that his partner would be a Vulcan?  He and Spock were such polar opposites in some ways but in other ways their differences enhanced the completion that they gave one another. 

The sun was setting and the sky was stained in oranges and pinks.  Sunrise and sunset were the only colorful aspects of this planet.

His communicator beeped, he jumped slightly from the sudden disruption of the silence around him.

“McCoy, here.”  He said.

“Leonard, how are the conditions there?”  Spock’s deep voice sounded from the communicator.

“Still too blasted hot.”  McCoy grumbled, “But pretty much quiet as far as tensions between the people and the base crew are concerned.  They haven’t started on our clinic yet, we’ve filled their small clinic with patients and we have a lot in the temporary clinic we’ve set up.  The temporary clinic gets so hot during the day; at least it cools down at night.”  McCoy took another sip of water.  “We had a busy day at the clinic today.  It’s stupid what people do to their bodies, Spock, all of the drugs and alcohol that have left these people with serious pathological changes in their bodies.  The living conditions that these people live in are like something out of Earth during the period of medieval Europe.”

“From what I understand, Star Fleet has plans to change those conditions.”  Spock said.

“Yeah, you and I know how long that will take.  Well, if I lived here and couldn’t leave, I think I would drink to imagine that I was on another planet.”  McCoy said.

“You are not bound to that planet, Leonard, you and Nurse Chapel will be returning in three weeks.  Do not take to imbibing strong spirits to mentally escape the conditions of the planet.”  Spock said; McCoy could hear that small smile in Spock’ voice.

“Imbibing?  Since when do I imbibe?  I socially drink with Jim and Scotty.  You don’t have to worry about me drinking the local stuff; it could clean the outside hull of the Enterprise.”  Spock let out a soft sigh, indicating that would be both impractical and ineffective, this made McCoy smile.  “How are things going on the Enterprise?  How did the meeting with Ambassador Zorazu?”

“There was an altercation between the Ambassador and Jim.”  Spock replied.

“Let me guess, the ambassador has a daughter!”  McCoy laughed.

“Leonard, your prowess for reading minds has greatly improved.  However, our friend has an uncanny ability to attract members of the opposite sex especially if there is danger involved.”  Spock said in a mildly sarcastic tone, McCoy liked it when Spock got a little snarky.

“Don’t remind me, Spock, one of these days he is going to start an intergalactic war over a woman or women.”  McCoy sighed, “But he is still the best damned captain in all of Star Fleet.”

“That he is, Leonard.  I will contact you tomorrow.  Thy’la, please be careful there have been reports of attacks from pirates in your sector.”  Spock said his voice somber.

“Hell, any pirate that sets foot on this planet will pay money to leave, there is nothing here.”  McCoy replied.

“There are medical supplies, Federation weapons, equipment and of course the personnel.  Their last attacks were especially brutal to the Federation and Star Fleet personnel.  Do not confront them, Leonard; you are too valuable to me and to this ship.”  Spock said softly.  “Goodnight, Thy’la.”

“Goodnight, Spock, I love you.”  McCoy said as he ended the communication.

McCoy went back to the temporary clinic, finished charting on some patients and made his last rounds before going to bed.

“Good morning, Spock.”  Captain James Kirk said as he cheerfully bounded out of the lift, he had his usual cup of coffee in his hand.  He addressed the rest of the bridge crew and walked over to Spock. 

“Good morning, Captain.”  Spock replied turning in his seat to face Kirk.

“Did you talk to Bones last night?”  Kirk asked between sips of his coffee.

“Yes, and apart from it being ‘still too blasted hot’ he is otherwise doing well.”  Spock answered.

Kirk laughed at Spock’s recall of a typical McCoy-ism.  “Are things quiet on the base?”

“From what Dr. McCoy has told me there are still some hostilities with the local residents resulting in injuries to the crew stationed there.  His main concern is for the children of these inhabitants who are displaying the pathologies that accompany poor nutrition and exposure to drugs and other chemicals that their mothers chose to utilize during their pregnancy.”  Spock said.

Kirk’s handsome features sobered at this information.  “Sounds like Bones has his work cut out for him.”

Kirk went to his command chair and reviewed the day’s agenda.  It was hours later that Lt. Uhura turned in her seat.

“Captain, we are receiving an emergency message from Star Fleet Command, Sir.”  She said.

“Put it on screen, Lt.” Kirk commanded.

Admiral Shonuri’s image appeared.  He appeared very tense.

“Capt. Kirk, we need for the Enterprise to depart to Star Base 52, immediately.”  The Admiral said.

Kirk jumped up from his command seat and Spock quickly rose from his chair.

“What’s happening?”  Kirk asked.

“The base is under attack from some of the reported pirates that have been plaguing that sector.  Two of their ships have landed on the base and the pirates have killed and injured many of the crew.  They are taking weapons, computers and other equipment.  We received this call from Dr. Leonard McCoy, your CMO.”

“Bones!” Kirk cried out spontaneously.  “Was he injured?”

“We only received the call; we were not able to make visual contact.”  Shonuri replied.   “You are the closest Starship, Jim.  I know this is personal for you.  I will provide you with more details as we receive them. Contact me if you are in need of more assistance, Admiral Shonuri, out.”

Kirk whirled around to Uhura.  “Lt. Uhura, try to contact Dr. McCoy.”  Spock walked over to her and gave her the information.  “Mr. Sulu, set course for Star Base 52, warp nine.”

“Aye, Captain.  Warp nine.”  Sulu responded and he shot Chekov a worried glance.   Spock stood stiffly beside Uhura’s chair.

“Sir, I’ve reached Dr. McCoy.  He is using one of the visual coms in the clinic.”

“Put McCoy on screen, Uhura.”  Kirk said as he stared at the view screen.  Spock walked down beside Kirk.

Though disheveled and unshaven, McCoy appeared to be okay.  He was sweaty and out of breath.

“Jim, Spock, it’s so good to see your faces.  Its bad here, the pirates for the most part have stayed away from the temporary clinic.  They are loading up a lot of weapons and equipment.  From what some of the base crew has said, they’ve taken some Star Fleet files also.  Tell M’Benga we’ve got a lot of surgical emergencies here and burn victims.  To make matters worse, the locals are joining in with the pirates and looting as well.  We’ve got ourselves barricaded in the back of the clinic, we have some phasers but that’s the extent of our weapons.”  McCoy said as he made eye contact with Spock.  “I don’t think they’ll bother us….”

There was the sound of phasers being fired and screams from in the clinic.  McCoy left the viewer open for visual and went to investigate the trouble.  Patients and  the medical staff ran past the view screen.  Nurse Chapel appeared being dragged by a large Gorn.  It shook her hard and the translated voice demanded drugs.  Chapel held her ground and stared at her assailant.  She was slapped hard across the face, Uhura cried out as she saw her friend fly across a bed and fall to the floor.

“God dammit, get away from her!”  McCoy yelled as he placed himself between Chapel and the attacker.

He bent down to check on Christine, “You son of a bitch, you knocked her unconscious.  What the hell do you want?”  McCoy said as he pushed the Gorn back away from Chapel. 

McCoy was grabbed by the arm, the large fist easily encircling his arm, the claws dug in tight and McCoy winced.

Again the mechanical translated voice demanded drugs.  When McCoy refused he was back handed across his face several times by the creatures other hand.  McCoy tried to fight back, but was only battered in his futile attempts.   His face, nose and mouth were bleeding and he appeared dazed.  The Gorn shook him hard.

“Get drugs!”  It demanded.

“What kind, you’ll have to be more specific?”  McCoy replied wiping blood from his nose.

Kirk uttered a curse and Spock drew in a breath, McCoy was trying to confront this pirate.  It wasn’t worth his life.

“Leonard, please, do not fight him.”  Spock said softly.

Angered by McCoy’s defiant expression and stance and his refusal to give up the drugs, the Gorn drew his spear with his free hand.  It tried to bring the spear down on McCoy but the doctor held back its arm with his free hand.  Then the Gorn pushed McCoy back onto the table on which the viewer was stationed.   It tried again to stab McCoy; its efforts were still unsuccessful as McCoy was able to bring his other hand up to keep the weapon away.  Its tail slithered up between McCoy’s legs and yanked his right thigh back from his hip.  The doctor spat out a spray of blood as he yelled from the pain and his resistance against the spear faltered.  Gasps were heard around the bridge and Kirk heard a soft sob from Uhura.  A long purple forked tongue emerged from the Gorn’s mouth; it flickered across McCoy’s bleeding face.

“Bones, oh, Bones…..” Kirk moaned.  “This is Captain Kirk of the USS Enterprise, let go of him” He yelled at the Gorn.

Spock remained stiff and silent, his fists were clenched tight.

Suddenly the Gorn grabbed McCoy by his throat and hauled him closer to the viewer, he turned the doctor’s face toward the screen.  Vertical pupils dilated as the gold eyes stared at the crew on the Enterprise.  It made hissing noises and growls at them then drove the spear into McCoy’s left shoulder.  The doctor groaned in pain, his face still held in the strong vise of the Gorn’s grip.  McCoy’s arms fell at his sides and the spear was driven in further and through the table, pinning McCoy.  Tears welled in McCoy’s eyes and he looked at Spock.

“I love you, Spock.” He gasped and coughed up blood.  The spear was twisted and the doctor fainted.

Kirk’s eyes filled with angry tears, Uhura was sobbing and Chekov and Sulu stared at the screen in horror.

Scotty, who had arrived a few seconds earlier, was fuming with rage as he paced the upper level of the bridge.

Spock continued to stare at McCoy, the eye contact broken. They had not bonded yet, there was no mind link.  There was only the image of Leonard bleeding and the uncertainty that he was still alive.

After the Gorn had grabbed numerous containers of medications, it retrieved the spear and McCoy’s limp body slid off of the table out of view, only a large pool of his blood remained.  They could not view Chapel from the screen.  There were sounds of more phaser fire and screams, and then there was quiet.

They beamed down by the base.  The pirates were gone, only the local inhabitants were still looting.  They were stunned by phasers or ran from the landing party.  Kirk, Spock, M’Benga and a medical team rushed into the clinic.  It was a blood bath inside; the air reeked of burnt flesh and blood.  There were no survivors at the front of the clinic.  At the back, there were wounded crew and medical personnel groaning or unconscious.  They found Chapel on the floor where she had fallen, her vital signs were stable and she was still unconscious.  Spock walked up to McCoy.  The doctor had slid down against the table and appeared to be sitting.  His head was bowed and his dark hair was matted by blood from a cut on his forehead.  Blood streaks were visible from his nose and mouth and his tunic was stained red from the spear wound in his left shoulder.  M’Benga knelt next to McCoy and read the tricorder readings.

“He’s a live!”  He said with unexpected excitement, “He’s lost a lot of blood and he has a hemothorax of the left lung.”  He and Spock gently lowered McCoy to the floor and M’Benga placed oxygen over McCoy’s nose and mouth and gave him some medications to raise his blood pressure.  While M’Benga attended to the wound on McCoy’s shoulder, Spock gently brushed McCoy’s hair back from his forehead and searched the doctor’s mind. 

There was overwhelming pain but then a weak “What are you doin’ messing around in here?” greeted his thoughts.

“Did I not request that you not confront these pirates, Thy’la?”   Spock reminded McCoy.

“How’s Christine?”  McCoy asked.

“She is going to be fine.”  Spock informed him.  McCoy was so pale and he began to shiver.

“How did it get so cold, Spock?”  McCoy asked weakly. 

Spock looked at M’Benga, “He is cold and shivering.”

“Gently lift his head and shoulders up, Spock, and hold him in your lap.  This will help him to breathe easier and I can take care of the wound in his back.” M’Benga said and he quickly dressed the exit wound of the spear. 

After M’Benga had finished, Spock held McCoy against his chest encircling him in his arms.  Spock focused on increasing his body’s heat to warm McCoy. 

Again he felt McCoy shiver, “You have lost a large amount of blood, Leonard, you are in shock” Spock said gently.  McCoy’s shivering increased and he started coughing.  Spock felt his tunic becoming wet; the doctor was coughing up blood.  Spock called M’Benga over to check on McCoy.

“He’s bleeding worse into his lung.”  M’Benga said as he made another scan.  He called the Sick Bay and ordered for a surgical team to be ready for McCoy.  “Can you pick up Dr. McCoy, Mr. Spock?  I will beam up with you and the doctor and get him into surgery” M’Benga said as he called the transporter room.

Spock carried the now unconscious doctor to Sick Bay and waited for M’Benga to give him the post operative report.

Spock went to his quarters to change out of the blood soaked tunic.  What was it about McCoy that made him confront danger, even instigating the wrath and reactions from aliens and diseases that he had faced?

When McCoy was confronted by a galloping knight with a lance, a viral infection that sped up the aging, process, attacking alien devices and weapons he aways stood his ground.  He injected himself with an untested vaccine, drugged Jim to prevent Spock from killing him and McCoy offered his life to save Kirk’s and Spock’s against the Vians.  McCoy’s lack of self protection bothered Spock and it angered Kirk.  The doctor’s obsessive need to be in control on the Enterprise was counter balanced with a total lack of control in other instances.  Ironically, McCoy proved his impulse decisions, though thoroughly illogical, were the best decision to be made.

Kirk called Spock in his quarters to tell him McCoy was out of surgery.  When he met the captain in Sick Bay, Dr. M’Benga filled them in on the surgery.  The doctor would recover; however, the spear had lanced though some of the nerves in McCoy’s left shoulder, he might have some impairment in the use of his left arm.    

Spock and Kirk sat by McCoy’s bedside during the following eight hours until he woke up.  Christine was up and around, she sat close to them at times concerned for her boss.  It was eight hours after surgery that McCoy woke up.  The dark lashes fluttered open and the blue eyes scanned the room around him.  He seemed confused at first, and then he turned to Spock.  He held out his left hand for Spock, who greeted McCoy with his two fingers and gently caressed McCoy’s two fingers.   The doctor smiled weakly at Spock then he turned to Kirk and gave him a smile also.

“Bones, don’t ever take on a huge angry Gorn again.  I know from personal experience, they are strong and mean.  Spock told me he had asked you not to fight any of the pirates.”  Kirk said with his hands on his hips.

“I did not say that to you, Jim.  I was talking to Leonard.” Spock aid as he gently stroked the top of McCoy’s hand.

“I was trying to keep it from killing Christine.”  McCoy said, he voice still groggy.

“For which I am very grateful.”  Christine said as she stepped closer to his bed.  Her face was bruised where the Gorn had hit her.  “But I can fight as well as you, perhaps better.”

McCoy let out a soft laugh, “Don’t I know it, you’ve punched me in the arm so many times.”

“That’s because you don’t follow my rules.”  She said as she smoothed his hair.

“Excuse me, I’m the CMO, and I make the rules.”  McCoy said with mock defensiveness.

“I just let you think that they are your rules.”  Christine said as she caressed the side of his face.  “I don’t want to break in a new CMO so you need to be more careful!”  She stepped back and bade them good night and she went to her quarters.

“It’s good to see you awake, Bones.  We’ve been worried.”  Kirk shot a glance at Spock, but Spock was looking at McCoy intently and did not notice that Kirk had made a suggestion that Spock had actually expressed an emotion.  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Bones.  Behave yourself.  Good night, Spock.”

Spock turned to face Kirk, “Goodnight, Jim.”  He said, his brown eyes reflected thanks for Kirk’s support.  Spock turned back toward McCoy and found the blue eyes had closed.  McCoy’s grip on his hand had slackened, he had fallen back asleep.

Spock placed his fingers in the meld position over the doctor’s face.

“Sleep well, Thy’la, regain your strength.”  Spock said to him through the meld.

“You’re my strength, Thy’la.   When you held me down there, I could feel your warmth.  I was afraid that I was going to leave you, Spock.”  McCoy thought.

“You will never have to fear that, Leonard.  Even if I leave you, I will always be with you.”  Spock sent through the contact.  “Remember, I will always be with you.

The End